College of Science, Engineering & Technology

CSET Deputy ED bows out of college

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Professor Ian Alderton has retired as Deputy Executive Dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) after 35 years of service to Unisa. He joined the university as a lecturer in 1982 and rose through the ranks to reach his final position.

Born in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, the then Eastern Transvaal, he moved to Windhoek in South West Africa, now Namibia, moved again to Cofimvaba in the Eastern Cape, and later to Durban. He appreciates diversity and different cultures.

Starting his adult education, he enrolled for an Intermediate Diploma in Biomedical Technology at the then Natal Technikon. He acquired his BSc in Chemistry and Mathematics, his Master’s Degree in Mathematics in 1984, and later his PhD in 1986. These were achieved through Unisa. He enjoyed research in mathematics and received the NRF rating of C after he published his PhD.

Alderton was then entrusted with several management positions and ultimately became the deputy executive dean of CSET. That resulted in him giving up his research career in mathematics. “I would advise anyone going to management not to give it up. If you have a research career, try by all means to keep it going,” he said. He believes that giving up research is the biggest mistake of any academic who is appointed at a management level.

On the occasion of his farewell, Professor Gugu Moche, Vice-Principal of Teaching, Learning, Community Engagement and Student Support, who worked with him when she was executive dean of the college, remarked that “Ian is great human being who always sees positive things in any situation”.

Professor Bhekie Mamba, CSET Executive Dean, described him as the memory bank of resolutions taken in the committees he served in. “Professor Alderton would remember immediately a resolution they took about four years back as if it was yesterday,” he said. College staff also shared fond memories of Alderton and his approach to resolving challenges.

While Alderton participated in various committees within the institution, his biggest contribution in the tuition space was to establish the way the tuition committee currently functions. He ensured that he shaped tuition in the college to be as excellent as it is today.

Prof. Gugu Moche (VP Teaching, Learning, Community Engagement and Student Support) thanks Prof. Ian Alderton (Deputy ED: CSET) for his support.

He played a key role in the revision of the PQM, strengthened the signature course, and increased student support through development and implementation of effective science foundation programs and online delivery of modules. Alderton has also facilitated the formation of a Quality Assurance Sub-committee of the CSET Tuition, Learner Support and Quality Assurance Committee to deal specifically and regularly with quality assurance issues. He also worked to ensure the establishment of advisory boards with industry and various tertiary education institutions. These are some of the things he championed with dedication.

His advice to his successor

“Tuition is a very big portfolio for one person to handle, and you will need people to help. Already there are capable people helping, one being Professor Simi Dube, and other colleagues in the School of Engineering. You should not lose focus of the bigger picture. If you are trying to do everything you will end up bogged down in all the details of tuition. The details are important—they help you understand—but always try to keep the bigger picture of where tuition is going.

Unisa then and Unisa now

Comparing the teaching methods of the institution today and when he joined, Alderton said that the student numbers were far less at the time and they were using a paper-based system that was efficient. It functioned like clockwork. Eventually, greater enrolment numbers necessitated that the institution found meaningful ways to handle delivery, some of which were the introduction of open, distance, and e-learning (ODeL) through ICT. Alderton believes that the institution should also develop new ways of doing things to enhance efficiency, while acknowledging that the institution is continuously improving to respond to its challenges.

His motivation

Prof. Bhekie Mamba (ED: CSET) hands over a farewell gift to Prof. Ian Alderton (Deputy ED: CSET)

“What kept me going all these years is the lesson that if you work very hard and persevere you will achieve,” he said. He realised this after a long time of not doing well during his early education and was woken up by the reality of having to live in an orphanage home after his father passed away. That experience taught him that through hard work combined with perseverance you can achieve something. From then he committed himself to his studies to create for himself a better life.

Speaking on his leadership, Alderton said that he recognised diversity in all its forms and, to some extent, he always tried to set an example, especially to the people he worked with. He always encouraged them to look forward in their careers and to do things correctly. Setting an example became part of that.

Where to from here?

“I have not decided yet, I am not psychologically prepared for retirement. I got so used to working and it is very hard for me to imagine anything else,” Alderton said. He vowed to use this year as the year of consolidation to decide the way forward. He would like to restart his mathematics research. He also enjoys playing the piano in his own time and he wants to revive that and get his technique back. Professor Ian Alderton wants to be remembered as a kind person by his colleagues. He concluded by saying that the college was in good hands under the leadership of its current executive dean. He believes that there are more achievements to come.

*By Nkululeko Mpakama

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Publish date: Mon Aug 07 18:04:24 SAST 2023

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